Signalling device



July 5, 1966 w. oLEvsKY SIGNALLING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed May 13.1964 INVENToR. WAL T512 0L El/SKY United States Patent Office 3,259,101Patented July 5, 1966 3,259,101 SIGNALLING DEVICE Walter Olevsky, 288Paterson Plank Road, East Rutherford, NJ. Filed May 13, 1964, Ser. No.367,147 4 Claims. (Cl. 116-114) This invention relates to signallingdevices. More particularly, it relates to a hand signalling device whichmay be advantageously utilized by railroad employees such as thoseemployed in railroad yards as brakemen, switchmen and the like.

In the ordinary course of the performance of their duties, railroademployees such as brakemen and switchmen in railroad yards have toutilize hand signalling to direct engineering personnel on movingtrains. Generally, to enable greater ease in the observing of thesignals, the signalling employees during daylight hours utilize amakeshift such as a folded newspaper, a White rag or the like toemphasize their various signals. These makeshifts are generallyunsatisfactory since they are not good light reflectors, especially ondays of poor visibility, i.e., overcast, foggy, rainy, etc. Also, quiteevidently they are not durable and they present the nuisance that theyfrequently have to be replaced and are of substantially little use whenprecipation is occurring.

When hand signalling in railroad yards is required during times ofou-tdoo-r darkness, generally the signalling employee has had to use alighted lantern to render his hand signals visible. It is readilyappreciated that a lantern is a relatively cumbersome, heavy andexpensive 'device and tends to impede the freedom of hand movements ofthe signaller. Of course, during dark periods, makeshifts such asnewspapers, white rags and the like are practically useless forenhancing the visibility of hand signals.

It is, accordingly, an important object of this invention to provide animproved hand signalling device which is effective over appreciabledistances in all conditions of daylight and which is durable and readilyportable.

It is a further object to provide a hand signalling device in accordancewith the preceding object which is readily adaptable for use at nightand other periods of darkness.

It is another object to provide a hand signalling device in accordancewith the preceding object which is facilely manipulable for handsignalling and which is`comparatively inexpensive to produce.

Generally speaking and in accordance with the invention, there isprovided a member comprising a light reflective material which iscontractible to a minimum volume and which is expandable to present amaximum light reflecting surface and means associated with the memberfor confining the member to the aforesaid minimum volume and forpermitting i-t to be expanded to p-resent its maximum light reflectingsurface.

Although such novel features believed to be characteristic of theinvention are pointed ou-t in the claims, the invention and the mannerin which it may be carried out may be further understood by reference tothe following descrip-tion and the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of an illustrative embodiment of theinvention adaptable for daylight signalling with the light reflectingmember expanded to its maximum reflecting surface;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 with thelight reflecting member contracted to' its minimum volume and containedin its minimum volumt confining means;

FIG. 3 is the same side elevation of FIG. 1 partly cut away, which alsoshows the -light reflecting member contracted to its minimum volume andcontained in its confining means;

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of another illustrative embodiment of theinvention similar to that shown in FIGS. 1 3 and adapted for use atnight and other periods of darkness;

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of still another illustrative embodimentof the invention showing the light reflecting member in the confinedposition;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to that of FIG. 5 but showing the lightreflecting member expanded to its maximum light reflecting surface; and

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the embodiment of FIGS. 5 and 6 withy the lightreflecting member expanded to its maximum light reflecting surface.

` Referring now to FIGS. l-3, the embodiment of the invention showntherein comprises a housing 10 substantially of a parallelepipedconfiguration. Housing 10 of course, may be a right circular orelliptical cylinder, the* only requirement for its contour being that itcan readily receive therein the contracted light reflecting member.Housing 10 may suitably comprise a rigid material such as metal, plasticor the like. On side 11 of housing 10, a clip 15 may suitably beprovided to enable the device to be hung on nails to be attached, etc.

Sides 12 and 14 of housing 10 suitably have longitudinally slottedapertures 16 therethrough. A pin 17 which may be a hollow grommetextends across the width of sides 11 and 13 of housing 10 and terminatesin flared grommets 18 and 19, the combination of grommets 18 and 19 andpin 17 being adapted to be vertically slid up and down along apertures16. The light reflecting member 20 is suitably affixed at one end to pin17 by means (not shown) such as rivets, studs and the like.

Light reflecting member 20 suitably comprises a relatively strong sheetof a light reflecting material such as lucite or polyethylene and may beof any color. Member 20 is constructed so as to be alternatelyoppositely `segmentally folded, similar to a fan, and when released fromhousing 10 may be opened, i.e., expanded to its maximum light reflectingsurface as shown in FIG. 1. Such release, within the construction of thedevice of FIGS. 1-3, occurs when the pin and grommets combination are inthe uppermost points of grooves 16. It is seen that with the pin andgrommets combination in this uppermost position and the unfolding oflight reflecting member 20, member 20 is prevented from falling backinto housing 10.

In the operation of the device of FIGS. 1-3, when it is being used,member 20 can be contracted, i.e., folded to its minimum volume andpermitted to slip into housing 10. To insure its confinement during itsidle periods, side 9 of housing 10 may have a slotted aperturetherethrough which snugly accommodates the cross-sectional contour ofmember 20 when it is in its folded state whereby there is no tendencyfor it to fall out of housing 10.

To make use of the device of FIGS. 1-3, it is merely necessary formember 20 to be released from its confinement in housing 10 by movinggrommets 18 and 19 and pin 17 to the uppermost position in grooves 16and unfolding member 20. In this situation, member 20 now presents itsmaximum light reflecting surface and is efiicacious for hand signalling.Since member 20 is chosen to comprise a good light reflecting material,it is very advantageously used in railroad yard hand signalling in allkinds of light conditions and at appreciable distances greatly in excessof those possible with makeshift signalling devices such as a foldednewspaper, a rag and the like. In addition, it is a durable device andcan be used in all kinds of weather and in the presence ofprecipitation. The device of FIGS. 1-3 is inexpensive to manufacture andsimple in operation.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 4 is essentially similar to that of FIGS.1-3 and functions in substantially the same manner. In addition,however, the device of FIG. 4 includes lighting means which enables itsuse as a signalling device at night and during other periods ofdarkness. The lighting means suitably comprises a dry cell battery 22electrically connected to light bulb means 24 through suitable switchingmeans 26. Battery 22 may suitably be included in a separate pocket 23 inhousing and switching means 26 and light bulb means 24 are readilyincluded in housing 10 by means well known in the art. Accordingly, nofurther description thereof is deemed necessary. The inclusion ofbattery 22, light bulb means 24 and switching means 26 enables theselective use of the device of FIG. 4, both as an advantageous daylightand dark, hand signalling device.

.In FIGS. 5-7, wherein there is depicted another embodiment of asignalling device constructed in accordance with the principles of theinvention, the light reiiecting member 25 is of cylindricalconfiguration and segmentally alternately folded. Tightly girdingapproximately the lower third or so of member 25 are substantiallyequispaced rings, generally designated by the numeral 36, such tightgirding effectively providing a club-like portion for handling thedevice. A portion 27 may be covered with a housing material 28 such ascloth or a rigid material such as plastic, metal and the like toreinforce the end of the club. A rivet or grommet 29 may be providedthrough housing 28 and portion 27 to enable a carrying handle to beinserted therethrough if it is so desired.

At the upper end of member 25, there is suitably provided a band 30having a snap end 31 aiiixed to member 25 and having a female snap 32 onits free end which can be mated with snap 31 to enable member 25 to becontracted at its upper end and held in place by band 30.

It is seen that in operation, light reiiecting member 25 flares out tothe configuration of a truncated cone as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 and thusgreatly enhances the natural daylight by reflection when it is used as ahand signalling device.

The terms and expressions which are employed hereinabove are used asterms of description. It is recognized, however, that variousmodifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent ofthe United States is:

1. A signalling device adapted for hand use comprising `a Segmentallyalternately folded sheet of a light reflective material, said memberbeing capable of being compressed along said folds to a minimum volumeand of being expanded to maximum light reliecting surface, a housinghaving a closed bottom portion and a pair of slotted registeredapertures in respective opposite sides thereof, a member adapted to bemoved along said slotted apertures, one end of said sheet being aixed inits compressed state to said member, the movement of said memberdownward along said apertures causing the retraction of said sheet inits compressed minimum volume state into said housing and the movementof said member in the opposite direction causing said sheet to beprojected out of said housing to permit it to be expanded to its maximumlight reflecting surface.

2. A signalling device as defined in claim 1 wherein said apertures haveregistered opposite termini in said respective opposite sides.

3. A signalling device as defined in claim 2 `and further including anincandescent light source juxtaposed with said member in its projectedposition and means for providing electrical energy to said source.

4. A signalling device adapted for hand use comprising a cylindricalalternately segmentally folded sheet of light reliective material, saidsheet being capable of being compressed along said folds to a minimumvolume and of being expanded to a maximum light-reflecting surface,means for steadily maintaining an end portion of said sheet compressedto its minimum volume, said maintaining' means comprising spaced ringsintimately girding said end portion, and snap band means attached to theother end of said sheet adapted to selectively maintain said other endof said sheet in its compressed position, the removal of said last namedmeans permitting all but said end portion to expand to its maximumlightreiiecting surface.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,283,262 10/1918Moore 116*4l 1,324,434 12/1919 Richard 116-41 1,445,407 2/1923 Nelson eta1. e 116-41 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,134 of 1909 Great Britain.

LOUIS I. CAPOZI, Primary Examiner.

1. A SIGNALLING DEVICE ADAPTED FOR HAND USE COMPRISING A SEGMENTALLYALTERNATELY FOLDED SHEET OF A LIGHT REFLECTIVE MATERIAL, SAID MEMBERBEING CAPABLE OF BEING COMPRESSED ALONG SAID FOLDS TO A MINIMUM VOLUMEAND OF BEING EXPANDED TO MAXIMUM LIGHT REFLECTING SURFACE, A HOUSINGHAVING A CLOSED BOTTOM PORTION AND A PAIR OF SLOTTED REGISTEREDAPERTURES IN RESPECTIVE OPPOSITE SIDES THEREOF, A MEMBER ADAPTED TO BEMOVED ALONG SAID SLOTTED APERTURES, ONE END OF SAID SHEET BEING AFFIXEDIN ITS COMPRESSED STATE TO SAID MEMBER, THE MOVEMENT OF SAID MEMBER